Dish-washing machine.



PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

0. S. CHAMBERLAIN. DISH WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 10, 1905.

CHARLES S. CHAMBERLAIN, OF EMERYVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

DISH-WASHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed May 10, 1905- Serial No. 259,750.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. CHAMBER- LAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Emery'ville, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dish-Washing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus which is designed for the rapid cleansing of dishes as they are returned tothe kitchen after being used.

It consists in the combination of mechanism and in details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- V Figure 1 is a front elevation of my machine. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. Iisa perspective View of a bucket, partially broken away. Fig. 5 is a side view of the steam-nozzle, partially in section. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the machine, showing an overhead traveling crane. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of suspension device.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved mechanism for rapidly handling containers within which dishes are placed for washing, means for transferring the containers through a series of washing-tanks, means for transferring the washing-water from one to the other, means for admitting steam to heat the Water and to prevent the vacuum and the noisy operation which usually accompanies such use of the steam.

As shown in the drawings, A represents a table or stand, which may be made of angleiron or other suitable material and supported upon legs, as at B, suitably braced for rigidity. This table has a depressed bottom, as shown at 2, and through this bottom passes the cylindrical washing-tanks 3, 4, and 5. These tanks extend down through the table and are supplied with hot water and are also provided with a means for admitting steam to heat the water and keep it constantly'at boiling temperature.

The water-supply pipes are shown at 6 and extend along the frame at and in convenient relations with the tanks. 6 represents steampipes also extending along the frame in a similar manner and having suitable connections, as here shown with the lower part of the tanks and with controlled cocks.

In the admission of steam into the body of water or tanks for the purpose of heating it I employ a device for preventing the snappy and noisy action which would occur if the steam was admitted directly. The device consists of a tube or tubes having a large num ber of small perforations made through the tube, and the interior of the tube is filled with shot or other small independent particles, through the interstices of which the steam passes when admitted into the tube and thence is discharged outwardly through the small perforations. This device is clearly shown at 7.

Discharge-pipes for water in the tanks are also located with convenient reference to the apparatus,as shown at 8. 9 represents buckets of such shape and size as to loosely fit within the tanks. These buckets have a grille or lattice bottom, as shown at 10, and are provided with bails, as at 11. The bails are here shown as of segmental form and having a smallcentral bend or segment, as at 12, which serves to suspend the buckets and to prevent them from tilting to one side or the other.

The suspension device consists of arms 13, having hook shaped outer ends, as at 14, which are adapted to engage the bails 11. These arms are fixed to segmental heads 15, which are carried by a shaft or shafts 16, journaled upon the frame 17, which extends upwardly from the rear side of the table A and in such position that when the arms are projected in a substantially horizontal position the books 14 may engage with the bails of the buckets 9, and thus suspend them over each of the tanks 3, 4c, and 5.

In order to thoroughly wash the dishes, which have been previously placed in the buckets, the buckets being hung upon the hooks 14 will be submerged in the tanks, and they are then reciprocated up and down in the tanks by mechanism which operates as follows: 18 is adriving-shaft journaled upon the frame and carrying any well known form of driving counectionsuch, for instance, as the eccentrics 19. In the present case I have shown these devices in the form of eccentrics having suitable eccentric-straps and rods or pitmen 20, connected with eccentric-straps extending up in the rear of each of-the heads 15. These heads are here shown segmental in shape, and each one has a segmental slot 21 made in it, and pins from the upper ends of the pitmen extend into these slots, and thus connect the pins of the pitmen with these heads. The heads are turnable upon the shaft 16, and when turned up so that the arms 13 stand vertical the slots 21 will be in such position that the reciprocation of the pitmen 20 by reason of the movement of the eccentrics to which they are connected will have no effect upon the heads 15 or arms 13. When it is desired to hang a bucket upon either of these arms, the arm is simply pulled down into a horizontal position and the bucket hung upon the hook 14. The lower end of the segmental slot 21 will then .be brought up to a point where it contacts with the pin 22 of the pitmen, and as the weight of the bucket hangs upon the hook and the slot in the opposite side of the head is in contact with the pin of the pitmen, it will be seen that the movement of the eccentric will cause the arm to oscillate, and thus raise and lower the bucket within its tank. For convenience in operation a track of any suitable description may be fixed above the washingtable and in line with the tanks. This track may be curved and carried around to a receiving-table upon which the dishes are first deposited. The buckets may be carried to this receiving-table by a block and tackle having a hook at the lower end to engage with the bail 12 and a pulley or traveler running uponthe track. Thus the bucket may be set upon the table containing the dishes, and it may be filled with the dishes to be washed, after which by means of the block and tackle it is carried around the endless track into line with the first of the washing tanks, as at 3. The bucket is then let down into the tank, and, the ho'okarm 13 being turned down, the bucket is transferred from the carrying-tackle to the hook 14:, and the operation of the eccentric mechanism previously described will immediately move the bucket up and down in the tank.

If the cleansing is not sufliciently effective. the bucket is transferred by the block and tackle to the second tank, where a similar operation proceeds, and finally to the third or rinsing tank, where the water is substantially clean. After being cleansed in this hot water the bucket is transferred to the table, where the dishes are discharged.

The tanks 3, 1, and 5 are connected with each other by troughs or spouts 23 to allow the water to continuously flow from one tank to the other, thus keeping the water substantially clean. At intervals the tanks. or either of them, may be discharged into the sewerpipe 8 and refilled with fresh clean water.

1 claim 1. In an apparatus for washing dishes and the like, a water-tank, an open-bottomed bucket loosely fitting the tank with dish-supports and a suspending-bail, a loosely-fulcrumed arm with a hook upon which the bucket may hang, and means engageable to oscillate the arm and bucket.

2. In a dish and like washing machine, a a close-bottomed Water-tank, an open-bottomed bucket with interior dish-supports and a bail, an arm with a hook to receive the bail, a fulcrum upon which the arm is turnable, an extension or plate with a segmental slot, an eccentric, and a pitman actuated thereby, and means for disengageably connecting the pitman with the slotted plate.

3. In adish-washing machine, close-bottom water-tanks, open-bottom buckets loosely fitting said tanks, having interior dish-supports and suspending-bails. hook-arms to suspend the buckets within the tanks, said arms being loosely fulcrumed and having segmentallyslotted plates at the rear, a reciprocating pitman with pins loosely engaging the slots, and contacting with the ends of the slots when the arms are in position to suspend the buckets and disengage therefrom when the arms are turned into an approximately vertical position.

4. In a dish-washing machine, water-tanks and open-bottomed buckets having interior dish-supports, and fitting loosely within the tanks, arms from which the buckets are suspended when said arms are projected horizontally, and means by which the arms are moved to reciprocate the buckets within the tanks, said arms being turnable upon their fulcrums to disengage them from the reciprocating devices.

5. In a dish-washing machine, the combination of aseries of water-tanks, dish-containing buckets submergible in the tanks, a looselyfulcrumed arm over each tank, having a hook end upon which the bucket may hang, means whereby the arms may be oscillated, water and steam supply connections with the tanks, and overflow connections between successive tanks.

6. In a dish-washing machine the combination of a series of water-tanks connecting one with the other, dish-containing buckets submergible in the tanks, a loosely-fulcrumed arm over each tank said'arm having means upon which the bucket may hang, means whereby the arms may be oscillated, water and steam supply connections with the tanks, an endless track suspended over the tanks, and a traveler movable thereon, said traveler having means for suspending the buckets and transferring them to and from the tanks successively.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES S. CHAMBERLAIN.

WVitnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, HENRY P. TRICOU. 

